“Absolutely, I appreciate it,” he said. “It was a great fight and I’m glad people enjoyed it. I got a lot of great comments about it and it makes me happy that it makes people happy, and this is why we get into the business. But, at the end of the day, my hand was not raised, so I want to accomplish this mission right before I retire. I’ve always said I had a timeline. I got into the game young. So I said when I was in my mid-thirties is when I said I’d call it. And if I’d be fighting after that, then it’s probably by luck or because I’m still doing good or still love it.”
Gastelum, who made his UFC debut by winning The Ultimate Fighter 17 at the age of 21, still loves the game, even though luck hasn’t been kind to him when it comes to injuries and other obstacles thrown in his path. But when he made the move from his longtime training base in Huntington Beach, California back home to Arizona a year and a half ago, it did put a little jump in his step that he hadn’t felt in a while.
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“As soon as I got here, it felt amazing,” said Gastelum, whose most recent bout was a five-round decision loss to Jared Cannonier in August of 2021. “It felt like everybody was just waiting for me to come home. I got embraced right off the bat with open arms and everybody really made me feel welcomed, and it’s been a great experience. I moved from arguably one of the best places of the country in Huntington Beach to Phoenix, which is also not a bad spot. But I love the move.”
